1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a radical generating system, and more particularly, to radical generating system having a bubble generating means, an ozone generating means, and a radical changing means all formed integrally.
2. Prior Art
Most clothes washing machines wash the laundry by using the mechanical force of a pulsator and the surface active force of a chemical detergent. Accordingly, in order to improve the washing efficiency, many clothes washing machine makers have utilized various methods including: improving the pulsator's ability to agitate the laundry, extending the operation time of the motor for water flow time, and improving the quality and/or increasing the quantity of detergent used in the washing machine. However, there are limits to improvements in the washing efficiency by the aforementioned methods for the following reasons. The methods utilizing increased mechanical force to improve the washing efficiency may damage the laundry or decrease efficiency of the clothes washing machine.
In the methods utilizing increased amounts of detergent, a relatively large amount of the detergent which does not react with the laundry is then discharged where it can later cause environmental pollution, and also the remaining detergent sticks to the laundry and thus the laundry is not effectively cleaned.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,653,129, (issued to Byung-Kew Jang on Aug. 5, 1997) discloses a bubble automatic washing machine, which has a bubble generating means and an ozone generating means connected to each other in parallel.
FIG. 1 shows a conventional bubble automatic washing machine 100 with a bubble generating means and an ozone generating means connected to each other in parallel, described in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,653,129.
The washing machine 100 includes a housing 102 and a stationary washer tub 104 fixedly mounted within housing 102 for containing a level of washing fluid therein. Pulsator 106 is rotatable in a forward or reverse direction to create a vortex flow within rotatable tub 112.
The top of washing machine 100 is provided with a door 108 for loading and unloading the laundry articles. Bubble generating means 110 is mounted on the inner surface of door 108 to extend toward rotatable tub 112. Bubble generating means 110 is shown in FIG. 2 in detail. An air pump 116 is communicated with bubble generating means 110 through an air conduit 114. In the drawings, air pump 116 is installed at the bottom plate of washing machine 100 but may be installed at any other suitable place.
Bubble generating means 110 includes a telescopic pipe 202 which is movable upward and downward, and driver 204 for actuating telescopic pipe 202. Though 3-stage telescopic pipe 202 is shown in the drawings, the number of stages is not specially limited as long as the washing machine operates smoothly.
Telescopic pipe 202 is fixed to a casing 218 of driver 204 coaxially with rotatable tub 124. Casing 218 is fixed to the inner surface of door 108 and a DC motor 206 is installed to casing 218. A driving shaft 208 of DC motor 206 is operatively connected to a first pulley 210 which is operatively connected to a second pulley 214 through a belt 212.
Second pulley 214 has a groove for belt 212 and gear teeth formed separately, and a flexible plastic string 216 is wound on the gear teeth. A train of teeth is formed on flexible plastic string 216 to mesh with the gear teeth. Flexible plastic string 216 has a suitable flexibility for being forced to expand and withdraw telescopic pipe 202.
Flexible plastic string 216 extends within, via a hole 219 formed to casing 218, an inner telescopic pipe 220 which is coaxially installed inside the inner telescopic pipe 202 and has the top end fixed to casing 218. The end of flexible plastic string 216 is fixed to the lower end of inner telescopic pipe 220 which is fixed to the lower end of telescopic pipe 202.
The lowest stage of telescopic pipe 202 is provided with a plurality of spurt holes 222 to create air bubbles. Air conduit 114 extends through casing 218 and communicates with inside of telescopic pipe 202. A space between telescopic pipe 202 and inner telescopic pipe 220 serves as an air passage and the air flowing out of air conduit 114 blows into rotatable tub 112, sequentially passing through the space and spurt holes 222.
An ozone generating means 118 may be further installed between air pump 116 and driver 204 in order to kill bacteria inhabiting the laundry articles. As a result, ozone is contained in air bubbles blowing into rotatable tub 124 to remove bacteria from the laundry articles.
Moreover, a heater 120 may be installed between ozone generating means 118 and driver 204 in order to create a hot air stream for drying the laundry articles. The air stream generated from air pump 116 flows through air conduit 114 to heater 120 to heat up and is transmitted to the laundry articles within rotatable tub 112.
However, a conventional bubble automatic washing machine with the bubble generating means and the ozone generating means connected to each other in paralled has drawbacks,e.g., installation space is occupies a large area and oxygen(O.sub.2) through the bubble generating means has low degree of generating efficiency of an ozone. In order to get force of washing and cleaning for proper washing is a large amount of ozone is indispensable as well. As a result, induced ozone has the disadvantage of inflict bodily harm due to the high concentration and bad odor of ozone itself.